Chapter Seventy: Some Things Never Change

I stared at him, seeing the fear behind the question. The same fear I'd felt earlier when he'd sent me to face the board alone. The fear that power might be more important than want.

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

Instead of answering, I kissed him. Hard and desperate and full of everything I couldn't quite put into words. When we broke apart, we were both breathing heavily.

"I need you," I said against his lips, "because you're the only person in the world who knew exactly who I was before I had any power at all."

"Scarlett—"

"I need you because you believed in me when I was nobody. Because you stood by me when everyone else wanted me gone. Because you carried me to safety when I was broken and helped me become strong enough to fight back."

My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer. "I need you because you're the only person who's ever looked at me and seen something worth protecting instead of something worth using."

"You don't need protection anymore."

"No, I don't." I met his eyes, letting him see everything I felt. "But I still need you. Not your money, not your empire, not your connections. You. Just you."

The kiss that followed was different from any we'd shared before. Hungrier, more desperate, full of the recognition that everything between us had shifted and we were both trying to find our balance again.

"Show me," he said against my mouth, his voice rough with desire and something deeper.

"Show you what?"

"Show me you still need me."

The challenge in his voice sent heat pooling low in my belly. "Right here?"

"Right here."

"In the kitchen?"

"In the kitchen where you just rewrote the power dynamic of our entire relationship." His hands were already moving, sliding under my blouse, mapping skin that belonged to him in ways that had nothing to do with money or business or inheritance. "Show me that some things haven't changed."

I reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head with hands that shook slightly. "Some things will never change."

"Like what?"

"Like the way you make me feel when you touch me." I traced my fingers along the hard planes of his chest, feeling his breath catch. "Like the way my heart races when you look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to devour me."

His laugh was dark and hungry. "I do want to devour you."

"Then do it."

What followed was a claiming that had nothing to do with power and everything to do with possession. His hands and mouth mapping every inch of skin he could reach, reminding me that no amount of money could buy what we had together.

When he lifted me onto the kitchen island, I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. "I want you," I said against his throat.

"Even though I'm technically your employee now?"

I bit his earlobe, making him groan. "You're not my employee."

"Your empire is worth more than mine."

"So?"

"So you could fire me if you wanted to."

"I could fire you anyway. I'm very powerful and vindictive." I pulled back to look at him, seeing the uncertainty he was still trying to hide. "But I won't. Because you're not my employee. You're my partner. My equal. My... what's the word for someone who rules beside you instead of under you?"

"Co-conspirator?"

"I was thinking more like king."

His eyes darkened. "You want me to be your king?"

"I want you to be whatever you want to be. As long as you're mine."

The possessiveness in my voice seemed to flip some switch inside him. Suddenly his hands were everywhere, his mouth hot and demanding, his body pressing against mine like he was trying to prove that some hungers couldn't be bought.

"You're mine too," he said against my lips. "Billionaire or not. Empress or not. You're mine."

"Prove it."

And he did.

Afterwards, we lay tangled together on the kitchen floor, breathing hard and staring at the ceiling.

"We should probably use the bed next time," I said.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"The marble is hard on my back."

"I'll get softer marble."

I laughed, turning to face him. "See? This is why I need you. You solve all my problems."

"Even the ones you could solve yourself with unlimited money?"

"Especially those ones." I traced patterns on his chest, feeling his heartbeat slow to normal. "Besides, unlimited money can't buy what I really want."

"What do you really want?"

I met his eyes, letting him see everything I'd been afraid to say. "You. Every day for the rest of my life. Fighting wars together, building empires together, making impossible plans together."

"Even if those plans involve investigating my mother?"

"Especially if they involve investigating your mother."

He was quiet for a moment. "What do you think they'll find?"

"I think they'll find exactly what we expect them to find. And then we'll decide together what to do about it."

"Together."

"Always together." I kissed him softly. "Now get dressed. We have a security firm to hire and a war to plan."

"Yes ma'am."

"I like the sound of that."

"Don't get used to it. I'm still not your employee."

"No," I agreed, pulling on my clothes. "You're something much more dangerous."

"What's that?"

"My equal."

And for the first time since inheriting billions of dollars, that felt exactly right.